The Bitter Truth Masterclass

23rd Apr 2017

Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin and Germany’s The Bitter Truth team up for highly anticipated brand collaboration

Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin and Germany’s The Bitter Truth team up for highly anticipated brand collaboration

The great and the good of the Irish bar trade were out in force for the launch of one of the most highly-anticipated brand collaborations in the industry on Wednesday evening (8th March 2017).

Revolutionary German brand, The Bitter Truth teamed up with one of the most talked-about new Irish brands - Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin.

Alexander Hauck, the German founder of The Bitter Truth touched down in Dublin to team up with Ireland’s PJ Rigney, the founder of The Shed Distillery and the creator of the already iconic Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin, which last year won the public vote for Ireland’s Best Gin.

Both brands are represented in Ireland by the trendsetting drinks company – Dalcassian Wines & Spirits.

Leading mixologists and bar owners from Dublin’s top cocktail and bar venues arrived in Zozimus and The Exchequer to attend one of Hauck’s two exclusive Masterclasses and witness the drinks’ genius in action.

Hauck showcased the intricate science and creativity behind merging flavours, creativity and learnings from the past century to create the ‘Michelin Star’ menu of modern-day cocktails.

Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin featuring oriental botanicals and Gunpowder tea was the star of the menu, the recipe of which was developed following the many curious journeys of PJ Rigney over the past three decades.

Rigney had taken his inspiration from as far back the as the 7th Century Tang Dynasty when Gunpowder Tea was first discovered. He developed the final recipe for Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin from botanicals discovered on his many curious journeys through terra incognita across Europe, Africa and beyond.

The Bitter Truth brand was similarly developed to bring to life some of the most exhilarating tastes and flavours of the past in a modern context.

Indeed the brand was invented by fellow barmen Alexander Hauck and Stephan Berg in 2006 following a conversation about how difficult it was to source high quality cocktail bitters in Germany.

Both bartenders had extensive knowledge of the various forms of bitters, from their years in the industry, and Stephan owned a large collection of current and historical bitters, some of which hadn’t been produced for decades. Because of this, he knew how the most well-known bitters of the world tasted and was considered a specialist in this area.

Their criteria for the choice of The Bitter Truth flavours was mainly provided by old cocktail recipes that could no longer be mixed true to the original because one crucial ingredient had been missing – the correct bitters.

Since The Bitter Truth’s inception in 2006, they have won multiple coveted awards in the drinks industry and have grown their portfolio of products significantly. Their first foray into production resulted in orange bitters and aromatic bitters, and they have since extended their range to include a much wider selection, from celery bitters to a violet liqueur.

For the Irish launch, Hauck developed a series of cocktail recipes featuring the two super-premium brands, which have now been officially launched in Ireland.

These include the Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin Garden and Tonic featuring The Bitter Truth and Celery Bitters as well as Lemon Juice, Mint and Tonic Water and Aviation – featuring Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin, The Bitter Truth Violet Liqueur, Lazaroni Maraschino Liqueur and Lemon Juice.

Dalcassian Wines & Spirits Managing Director John Dillon said Alexander Hauck’s visit to Ireland was representative of how sophisticated the Irish consumer has become:

“The modern Irish consumer has extensive knowledge of the trends from across the world. Their expectations are high and they are happy to spend on super-premium quality, flavours and recipes. Dalcassian Wines & Spirits has to stay ahead of the game and discover the latest brands and trends – and bring them to Ireland in a timely fashion. We’re delighted to represent brands like The Bitter Truth, Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin, Diplomatico Rum and Jeffersons Bourbon.”